Miscommunication
by xMorbidxAngelx
Summary: Sesshoumaru/Rin. Will Rin find out who her secret admirer is? The title's not very good, but I couldn't think of anything else. Apologies for bad spelling/grammar.
1. Chapter 1

Kagome chatted excitedly to the silver haired young man sitting beside her. Said man only gazed back at her with a blank expression as he failed to look interested in what she had to say. Kagome's best friend, Rin, sat on her other side. Rin's mind wandered as she realised that she couldn't focus on Kagome's chatter. She caught Inuyasha's eye and grinned at him before looking out the window beside her across the massive expanse of what Inuyasha liked to call a "modest garden."

As she gazed out, she smiled to herself. Inuyasha and Kagome were so perfect for each other. To anyone who didn't know them, their constant arguments could be taken for a sign of dislike. Rin, however, knew better. She knew that Kagome cared for Inuyasha very much and Inuyasha, although he'd never admit it, was infatuated with Kagome.

Her smile fell a bit as she thought about how often they had to opportunity to confess to each other and yet all they did was to push the other away with seemingly harsh words. They would deny that they liked each other so violently that they would sometimes say the exact same thing simultaneously. Although they never took the time to realise what they said and would never pursue the reasons for the other saying the same thing.

"Are either of you listening to me?!" Kagome demanded in a shrill voice.

Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly while Rin stared at him. Kagome's temper was explosive and usually had very bad consequences. Inuyasha clearly didn't care much for his health at present. Shaking her head, she tried to placate the fuming girl beside her.

"Sumimasen Kagome," she said calmly.

Her friend shook her head. "Iie. It doesn't matter. We just need to sort the details out. We don't have much to do."

"Remind me why we're having this Christmas party at my house?!" Inuyasha demanded, his expression showing dissatisfaction.

"Your house is bigger," Kagome said in an impatient tone.

With a sigh, Inuyasha realised that he had to admit defeat because Kagome was right.

- - - - - - - - - -

The trio had been finished school for two years. Shortly after her graduation, Kagome's mother and grandfather moved to Sendai to be with family. Souta had followed a couple of months later, claiming that he didn't like living in Tokyo. Kagome was left alone to manage the shrine, which proved to be an extra source of income as well as her full time job in a florist nearby.

Inuyasha was lucky, however, he didn't seem to think so. His parents moved to Kyoto after his father was offered a job managing a popular firm there. He was allowed to stay in the same house as long as he promised to let his brother stay there as well. It was common knowledge that Inuyasha and his brother did not like each other, but Inuyasha shocked everyone by deciding to agree to his parents' request. His brother mainly worked abroad so he wouldn't spend much time in the house anyway.

Rin, was completely different from the other two. Being an orphan, she had no property or money to inherit from ay family members. At the age of 16, she started working part time. She saved all the money she earned and now, at the age of 20, she finally had her own home. Her hard earned savings had allowed her to buy a small house not far away from Kagome and Inuyasha. Its location was convenient. Her friends were nearby and the bakery where she worked was a 10 minute walk down the road.

- - - - - - - - - -

A week later, a grim faced Inuyasha sat before his friends in a restaurant near the town centre. He played with his napkin while the two girls talked about their day at work. Eventually, he decided to interrupt.

"Kagome, I've got some bad news for you."

Kagome immediately demanded to know what was wrong while Rin looked at him curiously over the rim of her coffee cup.

"We can't have this Christmas party at my house. My mother called me last night and apparently my brother's coming back for Christmas as well as the rest of the family." Inuyasha shrunk back in his seat awaiting the shouting he was sure would follow his announcement.

To his amazement, Kagome laughed. "That's okay Inuyasha. I've been meaning to tell you that my family are coming back from Sendai for Christmas as well."

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at his friend. "It looks like we're all going to have a good Christmas this year then."

Feeling slightly awkward, Rin shifted in her seat as she tried to get her purse to pay for her coffee. Kagome's eyes widened as she remembered that her friend was sitting beside her. Reluctantly, she dragged her eyes away from Inuyasha.

"What's wrong, Rin?"

"Nothing. I'm just going to pay for my coffee. I should probably head home anyway," she said with a smile.

"Oh, okay," Kagome sounded disappointed. "We'll see you here tomorrow though won't we?"

Rin nodded. "Of course." With a final smile, she stood up and walked towards the front of the restaurant, leaving the pair alone.

- - - - - - - - - -

Rin sat in her living room reading her book when the phone rang. Still reading, she reached over the back of the sofa and fumbled around for the phone. After having located it, she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rin, it's Inuyasha."

"Oh hello. What's the occasion Inuyasha? You never call me."

"Well..." he paused. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something."

Rin frowned. "What would that be?"

"Kagome."

"I see," she smiled.

"Hai. Do you think you could come over?"

"Now?"

"Please?"

She sighed. "Okay Inuyasha. I'll be there in about 5 minutes."

"Awesome. I'll meet you at the top of the street."

With a sigh, Rin stood up and put her book down before going to put her shoes on and heading out the door.

- - - - - - - - - -

"So what's the problem, Inuyasha?" Rin asked as they walked up the short street to his house.

"Well, I want to do something."

Rin was perplexed. "Do something?"

He nodded. "I'll tell you when we're inside," he said as he opened the front door. "I'd rather not anyone overhear this conversation."

As the pair walked inside, Rin's ears were assaulted by loud, but slightly muffled music coming from upstairs. She looked at Inuyasha with a curious expression.

He shook his head and ran his hand irritably through his hair. "Sesshoumaru came back while I was out earlier."

As soon as the words had left his mouth, the music became clear as the elder Taisho son opened his door and walked out onto the landing. He proceeded to walk down the stairs, not noticing either his brother or Rin, with an empty coffee mug clutched in his hand. His amber eyes rose from the stairs as he reached the bottom. Finally noticing his brother, Sesshoumaru stopped and looked at the pair before him, his expressionless face never changing.

Rin stepped back and waited for the inevitable argument. However, she couldn't help but think Sesshoumaru looked gorgeous as he stood there. His white dress shirt was travel creased and hung untucked over his black trousers. The sleeves were rolled up past his elbows and a tie hung limply around his neck. Silver hair was tied back roughly and his amber eyes stared at his brother, daring him to test his patience. Nothing happened. Neither brother said anything. The uncomfortable silence was broken only by the music that drifted down the stairs from Sesshoumaru's room.

_"With blood on her hands_

_Into the sun she stares_

_She feels it die_

_I heard her cry _

_Like the scream of the butterfly."_


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, well, if it isn't my little brother," Sesshoumaru said quietly.

Inuyasha fought down the urge to leap at Sesshoumaru and claw his eyes out. He hated the patronising way he always used when referring to him.

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru noticed Rin and walked towards her. He frowned slightly at her as he looked down at her from his great height.

"If this is your girlfriend, Inuyasha, I must confess that I'm disappointed in you."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Inuyasha demanded.

"Look at her. She's hardly the type a Taisho son should be associating with."

Inuyasha gaped at his brother. His mind was reeling from the shock of what Sesshoumaru had just said. He struggled for words to defend his friend from Sesshoumaru's harsh criticism. The room was once again plunged into silence while he searched for words.

_"I don't feel any shame_

_I won't apologise_

_When there ain't nowhere you can go_

_Running away from pain when you've been victimized."_

Rin narrowed her eyes at the tall man who stood in front of her. She stepped forward and a resounding *slap* echoed throughout the room as she stepped back to glare at the elder Taisho son. The two men stood and stared at her in shock and watched as she turned on her heel and walked towards the door without a word. As she reached the door, however, she stopped after opening it and turned around to face Sesshoumaru.

"In real life, being a Taisho son doesn't make you any different from anyone else," she said mimicking the patronising tone he had used when referring to Inuyasha earlier. "Reality's a nice place. You might want to visit it sometime."

Having said that, she walked out the door and slammed it behind her leaving a stunned silence in her wake.

Inuyasha whistled in amazement. "You really got to her. I've never seen her that angry before."

Sesshoumaru stared at the door and put his palm against his slightly stinging cheek. "Who is she?"

"Daishi Rin. Why do you want to know?"

"I like her," Sesshoumaru said and flashed Inuyasha one of his rare grins.

Inuyasha's laughter filled the room much to his brother's annoyance. "Well she clearly doesn't like you. What are you going to do now?" he asked with a grin.

Sesshoumaru stared at Inuyasha as if he'd lost his mind. "Change her mind of course," was all he said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

- - - - - - - - - -

Several days later, Rin angrily slammed her locker in the staff room shut. She pulled her apron over her head and hung it up nearby. After picked up her bag, she brushed her hands and then smoothed down her clothes, noting the patches of flour with distaste. Shaking her head, she walked out but was stopped as she reached the door of the bakery.

"Daishi-san?" a polite voice asked.

Turning around, Rin saw a young man beside her. "Hai?"

"Delivery for you, Miss. 48 red roses," he said as he handed her the bouquet. "Someone loves you," he said with a wink as he walked away.

Shaking her head, Rin walked back to her house. She put the enormous bouquet in a vase of water before setting them down on the table in the living room.

It was an hour later when Rin sat down and eyed the roses suspiciously. Leaning forward, she examined the roses. She admired each delicately sculpted bud and petal. Sitting back, she had to admit that they were beautiful. However, a tiny white envelope caught her attention. A red ribbon attached it to the stem of one of the roses.

Rin picked it up, hoping that the envelope would hold the identity of the person who her the roses. She opened the envelope and pulled out a tiny piece of white card. On it was only an address and a single initial, "T," written below the address.

After staring at the roses for some time, she came up with an idea. She walked down to the nearest florist. She made sure to avoid the one where Kagome worked.

"Afternoon Miss!" a young woman greeted her cheerfully. "May I help you?"

Rin nodded. "Hai. Do you have white roses?"

The woman nodded. "Plenty of them! How many would you like?"

"Only one please. Could you deliver it for me as well?"

"Certainly. Could you fill these out for me please?" the woman asked as she handed Rin a sheet of paper for details about where to send the rose.

Before she left, Rin filled out a card to be delivered with the rose. She didn't know what to say. Finally, she wrote out her address and a simple question: "Who are you?" Setting down the pen, she smiled and thanked the young woman and left.


	3. Chapter 3

Sesshoumaru walked into work early the next day. It was one of the few times he actually used his office in Tokyo. Once he had organised his office, he asked the secretary to bring in any messages for him. He looked up as the door opened and saw his secretary walking in holding, not papers as normal, but a thin silver tube. Carefully she placed it on his desk and left.

Sesshoumaru eyed the tube and leaned over his enormous mahogany desk to turn it around. His eyes widened when he saw a single, delicate white rose lying on a bed of silver tissue behind the slightly frosted plastic of the tube. Attached to the tube was a small envelope. Opening it, he grinned when he saw an address. However, a frown soon took over as he pondered how to respond to the question.

He sat and contemplated the rose for several minutes. Eventually he shook his head and asked his secretary to have a dozen red roses delivered to his office before he left that evening.

- - - - - - - - - -

The roses were delivered just as Sesshoumaru was about to leave. He picked up a pen and wrote out his home address on a small piece of paper and slipped that in with the bouquet. Carefully, he picked up the bouquet and left his office.

- - - - - - - - - -

Rin was in her kitchen trying to make sense of the new recipe that the bakery was going to introduce when she was interrupted by a knock at the door. Sighing in frustration, she tried as best she could to wipe the flour and cake mixture off her face and hands. She gave up when there was a second knock at the door. Rin looked out when she got there. Confused, she saw no one. She frowned slightly and was about to close the door when something caught her eye. Lying at her feet was yet another bouquet of red roses.

She bent down to pick them up. They had obviously been delivered by hand seeing as there was no delivery person nearby. She glanced down the street and saw nothing. Just as she was about to go in, a car drove slowly past her house. The windows were tinted so Rin couldn't see who the driver was. As she watched, the figure in the car raised their hand slightly, almost as though in greeting. She smiled and returned the gesture, despite not knowing who it was. The car sped off down the street as she watched.

The door closed behind her and Rin looked around for another vase to put the roses in. She sighed as she looked at her living room. The roses that had been delivered the day before took up almost the entire table in the centre of the room. Shrugging, she took the smaller vase into the kitchen and placed it on the table.

A small piece of paper which she found with the bouquet had another address written on it. Rin compared the two and realised that the first address seemed to be in the town centre, which meant that it was a work address. However, the other address was nearby.

Taking a deep breath, Rin decided to thank this person for the roses. Looking around her kitchen, she saw half beaten cake mixture in a bowl nearby and a greased cake tin near the oven. She smiled as she went back to work.

- - - - - - - - - -

Over an hour later, she stepped back from the cake and smiled. It looked a lot better than she thought it would and it also tasted a lot better. She placed the last strawberry in the centre and looked around for a container. Having found one, she placed the cake inside it and looked at her work. She frowned. It looked plain. Rin looked around and found some thick red ribbon. She tied it around the container and tied a neat bow at the top.

Leaving the cake in the kitchen, Rin moved into the living room to find paper and an envelope. Going back into the kitchen, she wrote a brief note and slipped it into the envelope which she secured under the ribbon.

Picking up the cake, Rin walked over to the door and left the house in search of this mysterious person. She looked at the address and knew where the street was. Once she got there, Rin walked slowly down it, trying to find the right house. Eventually, she came to the right one. She looked around, the place seemed familiar but she couldn't think why.

She knocked on the door and much to her surprise; it was answered by none other than Inuyasha.

"Hey," he said casually with a friendly smile.

She gaped at him. "I-Inuyasha?"

"Yeah. Come inside, it's a bit cold out there."

She followed him inside, her head swimming in confusion. Inuyasha sent her the flowers? He turned around to look at her once he closed the door.

"So Rin, what brings you here? And what's in the box? It smells good," he said with a grin.

Sesshoumaru heard the knock at the door and ignored it. Inuyasha would answer it. He heard Inuyasha greet the person and again he ignored it. It was probably that Kagome girl again. She had been spending far too much time around here for his liking. What caught his attention was Inuyasha calling the person Rin. At that point, Sesshoumaru stopped working. Surely she hadn't come here to find who had been sending her those roses? He had never expected her to actually come here.

Putting down his pen, he picked up his half full coffee mug and downed its contents. Standing up, he walked out the room under the pretence of needing more coffee. He reached the landing in time to here the conversation that followed between Inuyasha and Rin.

Rin stood still in the hallway staring at Inuyasha. "I... er... I..." she desperately tried to think of words to explain why she was here. She looked around her helplessly, feeling confused.

Inuyasha leaned down and sniffed the container that Rin held onto tightly. "Is that a new cake the bakery is trying?"

"Uh... Hai," she was momentarily distracted from her dilemma by his question. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sesshoumaru coming down the stairs. She gathered up her courage and looked straight at Inuyasha who was trying in vain to get the container out of her hands.

"Inuyasha!" she said sharply, looking into his startled amber eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Did you send me all those roses?!" she demanded.

Inuyasha stared at her. Sesshoumaru stopped moving when he heard the question. He sighed and irritably brushed his hand through his hair before going straight past them into the kitchen for more coffee. The elder Taisho son paced the kitchen impatiently as he listened to the conversation in the hallway.

"What roses?"

"The 48 red roses that were sent to me at work yesterday and then the dozen roses left outside my doorway about 2 hours ago."

"Why would I send _**you**_ red roses?!" he demanded, a frown creasing his brow as he began to get impatient.

"How should I know?" she responded irritably.

"What reason could I possibly have to send you, of all people, roses?" Inuyasha frowned at her. "This conversation isn't making sense Rin."

"Never mind," she said abruptly.

She walked past him and into the kitchen where she found Sesshoumaru making coffee. Rin walked up to him and slammed the container down next to him.

"You have this then. Your brother's not having it. Enjoy it."

She turned around and walked out the kitchen and past his brother. Inuyasha stood in the middle of the hallway fuming.

"Rin! We haven't finished this conversation!"

"Yes we have. Call me when you're ready to talk to me instead of insult me."


	4. Chapter 4

Inuyasha stared at the door as it slammed closed. He had known Rin for nearly 10 years and not once, in all those years, had she ever got angry with him. He knew that he shouldn't have said what he did to her, but he didn't know what else to say. Turning around, he saw Sesshoumaru going back up the stairs carrying a mug of steaming coffee in one hand and Rin's container in the other. There was a pause as Inuyasha watched him. As usual Sesshoumaru's music drifted down from his room, filling the silence.

_"I'm dying of my own disease_

_I'm a villain_

_I'm a murderer_

_And the victim is me."_

"You sent those roses didn't you?!" he snarled at his brother.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Sesshoumaru set his cup down on the banister and looked down at Inuyasha. "Don't blame me for your own stupidity. I didn't cause that argument with her, did I?"

"Answer my question!"

"No," was all Sesshoumaru said before turning around and walking into his room, closing the door behind him.

With a sigh, Sesshoumaru sat down behind his desk. Leaning back in his seat, he wondered why Rin decided to come here. Was it because she wanted to know who sent the roses? Or maybe it was because she wanted to thank him? Or perhaps the cake was intended for him anyway?

He looked at the container in front of him. He'd never had a cake from the bakery where Rin worked, even though it was so close by. Leaning forward, he untied the ribbon and put it to one side. Lying on top of the container was a small, pale blue envelope with his initials on it. He smirked, picked it up and opened it slowly. He pulled out the piece of paper inside it. The message was simple, yet he was certain she had written it with a smile on her face. It read:

"I'm not going to have enough space for all these roses soon."

Beneath it was a single "x" instead of the initial she had used previously. He smiled and put the paper back into the envelope before opening the drawer beside him and slipping the envelope inside it where he had put the first message. Leaning back in his chair, Sesshoumaru debated what his next move would be.

It was obvious that Rin was friendly if approached in the right way. Unfortunately for him, he had gone about it in the wrong way and now she hated him. He sighed. What would she do if she found out that he was the one who sent her the roses? He failed to understand why she seemed upset that Inuyasha had sent them to her. She was a strange woman, she intrigued him.

- - - - - - - - - -

For the next few weeks, Rin avoided her afternoon meals with Kagome and Inuyasha and didn't take their phone calls asking where she was. Obviously Inuyasha had not sent her the roses, but who did? Maybe this mysterious person made a mistake and sent the wrong address? She wracked her brain for reasons why she ended up at Inuyasha's but failed to come to any conclusions.

She walked across her kitchen to pick up the milk she had left out. Picking it up, she poured the required amount into the biscuit mixture. She put it down with a sigh, but smiled to herself. Baking always made her happy and today was no exception. Rin stirred the mixture vigorously before she added the final ingredient, chocolate.

She had just put the biscuits in the oven when there was a knock at her door. Standing up, she wiped her hands on her apron as she walked to the door and opened it. Her eyes widened as she saw the elder Taisho son standing there, her cake container clutched in his large hands.

"Sesshoumaru-san! What are you doing here?" she asked in amazement, her hatred of the man forgotten as she stared at him in shock.

He shrugged in response and held up the container. "I thought I should return this to you," he said as he handed it to her.

"Arigatou. How did you know where I lived?"

Rin could have sworn that he almost smiled before responding. "I beat it out of my brother."

She shook her head. "Would you like to come in? I want to talk to you."

Slightly confused by this, Sesshoumaru nodded and followed her inside. Rin led him into the kitchen and indicated that he should sit down. Without a word, Sesshoumaru sat himself down beside the table in the kitchen and waited to see what would happen next.

"Sesshoumaru-san, I think I ought to apologise to you," she said with a sheepish smile.

He blinked. "What?"

"I'm sorry I was rude to you the other day."

"Oh. Iie, it's fine. I shouldn't have provoked you."

She smiled at him. "Was the cake okay?" she asked as she leaned down to take out the first tray of biscuits she had made earlier.

He nodded as he watched her. "Hai. It was very good. Arigatou."

"I'm glad," she said before taking the biscuits off the tray. Turning back to him, she grinned. Walking towards him, she held out the plate. "Can I tempt you to try one?"

Sesshoumaru nodded again and picked up one of the biscuits. Rin put the plate on the table and sat down opposite him.

"You should be a baker," Sesshoumaru commented, feigning ignorance.

Rin laughed melodiously. "I am," she said with a smile. "I work in the bakery 10 minutes away from here."

He nodded. "These are very good."

"Help yourself," she said and nodded towards the plate.

"Arigatou."

Rin got up and began washing the dishes she had used making the biscuits. Sesshoumaru took this opportunity to look around. He saw the larger bouquet on the table in the living room and the smaller bouquet sat on the table beside him.

"I see you like roses," he commented.

Rin laughed. "Hai. I do, but I didn't buy those. They were given to me."

He raised an eyebrow. "By who?"

She turned around to look at him. "I wish I knew."

"Does it not bother you that you don't know who sent them?"

"It doesn't bother me, but I'd like to know who it was. Whoever it was must be a wonderful person," her eyes glazed over as she thought about it and a smile crossed her face again.


	5. Chapter 5

Sesshoumaru sat behind his desk in his room at home and grinned to himself. He hadn't done much, but Rin now considered him a friend. The afternoon he had spent with her had been amazing. She was a unique individual. He had not intended to befriend so quickly. Rather, he thought that it would have taken longer considering what he had said to her. She surprised him.

Although he was now unsure of how to proceed. Sesshoumaru sat in his seat and pondered his next move. Eventually an idea dawned on him and he reached for the phone.

- - - - - - - - -

Rin had just arrived home from work. She opened her door and found a single envelope on the floor. She sighed. Another bill no doubt. Picking it up she walked into the living room and left it on the table to look at later.

After pouring herself a drink, she sat down on the sofa and picked up the envelope. She opened it and pulled out the contents. It was another note from the person who sent the roses. There was a ticket with the note. Apparently the Taisho family were holding a fancy dress ball in two days time to celebrate Christmas 2 weeks later. She sighed. This person must be wealthy if they have connections with that family. The note also said that this person would pick her up and take her there.

She smiled. A fancy dress party sounded interesting. Her smiled faltered a bit when she saw that masks were compulsory. That meant that she would not know who this person was. She shrugged it off and decided to start thinking about what she would wear.

- - - - - - - - - -

At precisely 7.30pm two days later, there was a knock at the door. Rin looked at herself in the mirror one last time before putting her mask on and going to answer the door. With trembling hands, she opened the door. Standing on the other side was a tall, muscular man. His hair was black with silver streaks or it could have been silver with black streaks, it was impossible to know. A simple black mask covered his pale face and a long, black cloak hung from his shoulders. Rin soon understood that this person's costume was supposed to represent a vampire's attire.

Smiling nervously, she stepped out the door and closed it behind her. The man smiled slightly and led the way to his car. Rin followed behind and was soon seated in the car.

Moments later, they arrived at the Taisho's home. Rin stepped out of the car and adjusted her mask. Her companion stepped up beside her and looked down at her before offering her his arm. Still nervous, Rin smiled at him and put her hand on his arm as they walked forward. They were relieved of their tickets once they were inside.

Rin's eyes widened as she looked at all the different costumes. There were men dressed as priests and monks, others dressed as medieval princes and pirates. A group of women walked past her all dressed in long dresses that trailed behind them. In the corner of the room, she recognised Inuyasha's sister Izumi and her friends dressed in devil outfits.

She looked down at herself, suddenly self-conscious. Her black dress had a short skirt that reached mid thigh and a tight bodice that could have been mistaken for a corset. Her slim legs were clad in black fishnet tights and she wore a pair of black stillettos. Her arms were bare, her nails were painted blood red and her lips the same colour.

A thought dawned on her as she looked at the man beside her. It was almost as though they had decided on their costumes together. All that Rin lacked were the pointed teeth that her companion had.

Sensing her gaze, the man looked down at her with a questioning gaze.

"We match," she said simply with a smile.

He looked at their costumes and nodded in agreement. "Hai," he said in a deep voice. He looked around the room and spotted a table near the window. "Shall we sit down?"

Nodding, Rin followed her companion as he walked over to the table and sat down.

As they sat there, Rin found herself to still be clutching his arm. Blushing slightly, she let go and looked away in embarrassment. He smiled slightly and took her hand in his own.

Rin turned to look at him. "Do I know you?" she asked.

He nodded. "You do."

"Will you not tell me who you are?"

There was a pause as he seemed to be thinking. Eventually he grinned at her. "No."

She laughed.

They talked for over an hour. Music started after their meal and they watched as people began to dance. Their colourful costumes a blur as the music increased its tempo. Rin found herself on her feet and being guided towards the dance floor. When she came to a stop, she smiled nervously at the tall man in front of her. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt his arm wrap around her waist, pulling her close against him as they began to move in time with the music.

Sesshoumaru grinned to himself. He would never have thought that his costume would disguise his identity so well. He had grown very attached to Rin over the past few weeks and to have her here in his arms was like a dream come true for him. His arm curled possessively around her slim waist and secured his grip on her hand as he heard her sigh in contentment and put her head against his chest.

- - - - - - - - - -

After dancing for what seemed like an eternity, the pair eventually stopped and headed for the refreshments table. When they had finished their drinks, Sesshoumaru looked down at his companion with a vague smile.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked.

"Hai," she said with a smile.

"Good. Shall we find somewhere to sit for a little while?"

She nodded and followed him as they walked towards a table near the enormous windows. As they walked, Rin took a deep breath and slipped her hand into his and was pleased when he squeezed her hand.

They sat down and Rin put her head against her companion's shoulder. In response, he wrapped his arm around her waist. Under his mask, Sesshoumaru looked around the room. He could see his brother dancing with a woman in a bright red dress. The long dress swayed from side to side as they moved. He smiled to himself, he was willing to bet that it was that Kagome girl who kept coming to the house over the past few weeks.

The guests at the party were oblivious to the four men creeping around outside the large windows just behind where Sesshoumaru and Rin sat. The enormous window shattered and glass flew in all directions as the men leapt through the window.

Acting on instinct, Sesshoumaru grabbed Rin and pulled her towards him and pulled the cloak of his costume up to shield her from the flying glass. When they looked up, four men clad in black from head to foot stood at the front of the room, three of them wielding guns. The man who seemed to be in charge of the operation demanded that all money and jewellery be handed over to them. Once all the valuables had been collected, the men backed away and took off running across the gardens.

As soon as they were able to move, Inuyasha ran across to the nearest phone and called the police while his parents were left to deal with the fearful guests. Sesshoumaru looked around and then lowered his cloak slightly. Rin looked up and sighed.

"Are you okay?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Rin nodded. "I'm fine." She looked at him and gasped. "Your cheek is bleeding."

He touched his cheek and saw blood on his fingers when he pulled them away. "It doesn't matter."

"It does! We're leaving now," she stood up and dragged him towards the door.

They left the building and Rin instructed him to drive to her house. Upon their arrival, she sat him down in the living room and disappeared to get medical supplies to deal with his wound. Sesshoumaru sighed and rubbed his forehead. She was overreacting. It was only a small scratch. Still, he knew her well enough by now to know that she wouldn't leave him alone until she had tended to it.

When she returned, she sat down beside him. "This might sting a little bit."

Sesshoumaru nodded and sat still as she cleaned the wound. He flinched slightly and her hand drew back quickly as she looked at him apologetically.

"Sumimasen!"

"Iie. It's fine. Carry on."

Nodding she carried on and a short while later she put a small plaster over the scratch.

"There. All done," she said with a smile.

"Arigatou. You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to. Just relax, I'll get you a drink and something to eat."

Sesshoumaru sat there, still clad in his mask and costume, while she disappeared into the kitchen. He now had a dilemma. If he took his mask off, his identity would be revealed. Sighing, he lifted his mask slightly and rubbed his eyes.

Just as he did so, Rin returned carrying a tray of coffee and cake. She set it down and sat down beside him. The sudden movement beside him startled Sesshoumaru and he turned around to look at the woman next to him. His mask fell back into place over his eyes, but not before Rin caught a glimpse of amber eyes behind it. She smiled and decided not to mention what she had seen. Now she was almost certain who this man was.

"Thank you for the offer of food and drink," he said quietly. "But I think it'd be best if I left now. I'll need to stop by the police station to leave a statement about what we witnessed before going home. I hope you understand."

Rin nodded. "Hai. Would I need to leave a statement as well?"

"Iie. I'll take care of it."

"Arigatou," she said as she stood up beside him. The pair walked to the door where they stopped.

Sesshoumaru turned around to look at her when he walked through the door. "Thank you for agreeing to accompany me tonight."

"I'm glad I finally got to meet you, even if I didn't find out who you are," she said with a smile.

"Perhaps we'll meet again sometime."

"That would be nice."

"Goodnight," he said quietly as he picked up her hand and dropped a kiss on the delicate skin. Turning around, he walked towards his car and with a brief wave in her direction, he sped off down the street.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day, Rin had the day off work. She paced her kitchen impatiently as she waited for the latest batch of biscuits to cook. Today she would find out if her suspicions about the identity of that man were correct. The loud ringing of a timer indicating that the biscuits were cooked jerked her from her reverie. Pulling the biscuits out, she left them out to cool as she went to change.

Moments later, she returned in a short, dark blue skirt with a white shirt. Her long black hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head. She headed into the kitchen where she put the biscuits into a container. Rin looked around for the first address she had been sent and picked up the card. She walked out the door armed with the address and a container of biscuits.

- - - - - - - - - -

She arrived at the address and stood before an enormous building. Walking up the steps, Rin approached the reception area with a growing sense of apprehension. She began to wonder if she was doing the right thing.

"May I help you, Miss?" a woman asked.

"Uh... Hai. Is there a Sesshoumaru Taisho in this building?"

"Hai there is. May I ask what this is in connection with?"

Rin paused, she hadn't planned for this. "Uh... delivery for him," she said and indicated to the container in her hands.

"On the first floor and to your right," the woman said with a pleasant smile.

"A-Arigatou."

One the first floor, Rin followed the corridor to the right and hit another problem only moments after stepping out of the elevator.

"Rin? What are you doing here?" a familiar voice asked.

She spun round and saw Inuyasha standing behind her. "Delivery," she squeaked and held up the container.

"Okay. Listen, I'm sorry I insulted you last time we spoke."

"I-Iie. It's okay."

"Did you find out who sent the roses to you."

"Iie, not yet. I'll find out eventually though," she said with a smile. "I have to deliver this."

"Rin!" Inuyasha called after her. "Join us for a meal after work today? There's something I have to tell you."

Rin nodded with a smile and carried on.

She passed many doors and each had a different name on them. Eventually she found the one she was looking for. She paused before pushing the door open and heading towards the secretary.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"I have a delivery for Sesshoumaru Taisho."

The woman nodded and spoke briefly to Sesshoumaru getting permission to send her in. "You may go in," she said and nodded towards an enormous set of double doors to her left.

Rin smiled at her and walked towards the door. Her trembling hand gripped the door handle and pushed. She was shaking as she walked in. Turning around she closed the door behind her. She saw Sesshoumaru sitting behind a desk nearby, but his back was facing the door and he didn't see her.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked timidly.

"Hai?" was his response, but he didn't turn around.

"I-I have a delivery for you."

"Put it on my desk please."

"Hai," she said as she did so.

He spun round in his chair and looked directly at her. "I thought it sounded like you, Rin."

She shrugged and smiled. "You were right."

"What are you doing here?" She nodded towards the container on his desk. "How did you know I worked here?" he asked curiously. He was sure he hadn't told her where he worked.

Rin smiled again. "I worked it out, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"How? I didn't tell you I worked here did I?"

"Iie. Your roses did."

His eyes widened as he realised she knew he sent them to her. Sighing, he rubbed his forehead. "I guess you know now."

"Were they an apology for what you said to me?"

Sesshoumaru looked up at her. She clearly misunderstood. "Iie. They weren't. I apologised to you for that myself."

"I see. I'll leave you to get back to work," she said, slightly disappointed that he didn't seem eager to elaborate on the reason for the roses. She bowed slightly and turned to walk towards the door. She was confused and didn't know what to think of the situation.

"Rin," his voice stopped her. She turned around and looked at him as he got up and walked towards her. Her eyes widened as he took her hands in his. "The roses were because I care for you. I care for you a great deal."

"W-Why?"

"Because you're different. You didn't treat me like all the other women do. They're attracted to me purely because they want my money. You weren't afraid to tell me what you thought."

She stared at him. "So... where does that leave us now?"

"I want to ask you something..." he said cautiously. He'd never felt this nervous before.

"Hai?" her breath caught in her throat as she waited to hear his question.

"Will..." he took a deep breath before finishing his question. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Her face broke out into a smile and she launched herself at him. "Hai!"

He grinned and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off her feet. After a moment, he put her down and looked at her with a serious expression. "I'm sorry that I caused you to argue with Inuyasha."

Rin shook her head and smiled. "It doesn't matter. It's been sorted out."

"Good." He wrapped his arms around her again.

Hours later, Kagome and Inuyasha sat nervously waiting in a secluded corner of a restaurant for Rin. They had finally admitted their feelings for each other and were now a couple. Now, they had to tell their friend and they were growing impatient waiting to tell her their news.

"Is she really coming?" Kagome asked.

"She nodded when I asked her."

"She's never late," Kagome said with a frown. "Maybe something happened?"

"She'd have told us if something happened."

While Inuyasha tried to placate Kagome, Sesshoumaru and Rin walked into the restaurant and came up to their table. The seated pair looked up at them in surprise. Rin smiled at her friends' surprised faces.

"What's going on here?!" Kagome demanded.

"Inuyasha knows," Sesshoumaru said quietly.

Inuyasha's jaw dropped and he looked at Rin. "You.." he paused and pointed at his brother. "... and him?!"

Rin smiled and nodded as Sesshoumaru wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her closer to him.

Kagome grinned and hugged her friend. "That's wonderful! I hope you two are very happy."

"Arigatou!" Rin said happily. "I hope you two are very happy too," she said with a knowing smile.

"You knew?" Kagome asked.

"Sesshoumaru told me."

"How did you know?" she demanded of him.

"It's obvious," he said with a slight smile.


	7. Chapter 7

After their meal, the couples went their separate ways. Rin found herself at the pier by the sea watching the sunset with Sesshoumaru. Turning around to face her, Sesshoumaru cupped her face in his hands and gave her a genuine smile.

"Rin..."

"Hai?" Her hands trembled slightly where they lay on his shoulders.

"Aishiteru."

"Aishiteru Sesshoumaru," she said with a smile as she looked up at him.

As the sunset behind them, their lips met.

Looking back on that day a year later, Rin had to smile. She glanced around the room and was filled with a glow of happiness as she saw Inuyasha and Kagome sitting happily across the room from her. Sesshoumaru sat beside her, his arm wrapped possessively around her shoulders while his hand lay on her slightly swollen abdomen. She smiled as she watched him grin and rub her belly delightedly while Inuyasha and Kagome's laughter filled the room. That day on the pier had been the perfect beginning to the perfect relationship.


End file.
